Ukraine faces a growing risk of running short of air-defense munitions after U.S. military aid slowed over the summer even as Russia launched record numbers of drones and missiles, according to a Financial Times report cited by Western and Ukrainian officials.
The FT said irregular and reduced deliveries since June have left Kyiv burning through stocks of interceptors and other aerial-defense weapons while Moscow’s forces have stepped up mass strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure. “It’s a question of time for when munitions run out,” a person familiar with U.S. deliveries told the newspaper.
The report said the Pentagon first paused and then slowed shipments of PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot systems operating in Ukraine. Shipments of Stinger man-portable air-defense systems, precision-guided artillery shells, more than 100 Hellfire and AIM missiles and deliveries tied to F-16 aircraft were also delayed or stalled, senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials told the FT.
U.S. officials told the Financial Times the changes followed a Pentagon directive aimed at preventing depletion of American stockpiles. The White House confirmed a pause in July and said the decision was made to "put America’s interests first." A White House official later called characterizations that the United States was depriving Ukraine of air-defense munitions false and said Washington was working to support Kyiv’s needs while urging European allies to increase military and economic pressure on Russia.
Ukrainian commanders and Western analysts say the supply reductions have coincided with a sharp rise in Russian aerial attacks that are straining the country’s ability to intercept incoming weapons. Kyiv has routinely sought to defend against hundreds of missiles and drones fired by Moscow in concentrated waves, and officials warn that sustained attack rates could overwhelm Ukrainian batteries and expendable interceptors.
The shortfall became stark after what Ukrainian officials called the largest barrage of the war to date: Ukrainian authorities reported 810 drones and decoys and 13 cruise missiles launched in one weekend. At least four civilians were killed, including a mother and her two-month-old child, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. President Volodymyr Zelensky said a subsequent strike killed at least 24 people waiting to collect pensions in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian emergency services and military units have responded to damage to civilian infrastructure and energy systems, and officials say they have had to use substantial portions of their remaining interceptors and missiles to protect population centers. The intensification of strikes has also prompted fresh calls from Kyiv for immediate deliveries of air-defense munitions and systems.
Russia’s government has said it seeks a peace settlement even as Moscow’s campaign of bombardments has continued. Western governments have offered varying levels of assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, but the Financial Times report and comments from U.S. officials underscore a current tension in supplying high-demand munitions while managing allied stockpiles and readiness.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the FT’s account. Ukrainian officials said they were continuing to defend against daily attacks while pursuing diplomatic and military assistance from partners.
Analysts say the coming weeks will be critical: if Western deliveries do not increase and Russia maintains its present tempo of attacks, Kyiv’s ability to intercept incoming weapons could decline, leaving civilian infrastructure and population centers more exposed to sustained bombardment.